Guitar Licks and Tips

One of my favorite new bands was just on The Hour, and it was fabulous to say the least!

In Canada we love our national TV channel, well most of us do, and they have this guy George Stroumboulopoulos who has a show called on CBC called The Hour.

In this interview, George reveals this guy next door image of the lead singer Chris Martin from Cold Play, that seems really genuine to me. I’ve not seen a lot of interviews of this guy but this one did ring a nice bell. He comes across as a guy who you would love to go camping with. Just imagine the campfire songs here kidz!


In videos of these guys playing huge venues, the band, especially the lead singer, look more then at home then most bands I’ve seen in a long time. They always seem to be in the groove all the time and the dynamics of sound they have are scary!

We only get to see the instrument versatility of Chris on most albums and I wonder what the rest of the band is like this area. Does anyone have a insight into any of these guys instrumentally that they’d like to share? In the interview, George show us that he is not that bad on the keys and it seem that Chris might even agree on this one.

Just thought I’d share this one with you all!

Keep on Jammin’

If you were alive in and around 1971 you might remember the “Coke Song” … and what a anthem it was for the 70’s!

It was a good feeling time in all of our lives, in mine anyways! We tended to look at life with rose colored coke glasses back in the days. Ohhhh, what a feeling it was.

Keep on Jammin’

Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys was the unsung hero of the band. In my eyes that is. He was not only a talented drummer but a genius of composing.

Dennis Wilson was just as complex a man, a musically gifted one and as charismatic as his brother Brian. Even though today people view the Beach Boys as the god fathers of soft pop surfer hits, cars and girls, they have this other side that is often forgotten. They helped forge the aesthetic psychedelic lifestyle and elevated American visionary musician’s and their cause to main stream culture.

The only difference was that Dennis’s torch burned out long before it should have.

The tragedy of being musically brilliant is not only Brian’s to hold. Due to many factors, he was more then a little mis-understood in the eyes of people long ago. In today’s world, his identity as being a wild man and that he was at constant odds with it, would have been taken into account and we all would have given him more lateral leeway in regards to his actions off the musical stage.

Sadly after 15 years had pasted on their massive Good Vibrations success, he was NSF and more often then not homeless. After being put under arrest once, expelled from the band which he helped found many times, and was also not acknowledged for his brilliant work on all their hits, was sadly taken from us only a short 3 weeks after celebrating his 39th birthday.

Todays poperatzy would sure to of had a field day on this poor soul.

Do any of you have some great positive memories to add to the late great Dennis Wilson. Is there anything else that you would share to the future music aficionados to help celebrate the accomplishes of the under appreciated member of the Beach Boys? Please help untangle the truth and myth of this once great fellow lover of the art of music!

Keep on Jammin’ Dennis, we’re still listening for you

Toyota has come up with this musical playing robot that has many taking another look at what can be considered musicianship.

What is going on in this crazy world? Ok, I know it’s all in fun but doesn’t it make ya wonder what’s next? I’d love to see them make one that can play eruption by Eddie Van Halen! Enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’, or at least let’s see them try to!

Another one of the greatest, most influential and under rated guitar players of all time is dead at the age of 79.

He was one of those players who everyone has heard of, but never really heard him actually play or realize that your favorite band was playing a tune made by the great one!

I know that I am part of that club and it is so sad that something like this has to happen to make us all wake up and realize the brilliance that, that person had. But isn’t that always the case.

He did catch the ear of everyone from the Rolling Stones all throughout the years to U2, thank heavens someone was paying attention to one of the god fathers of rock guitar!

From his unique approach to guitar (it’s interesting to note what he had to do to enhance his playing technique) all the way down to his own home made cigar box guitar, you can’t help but be amazed at how he started to play and the single handed determination that drove the great one to Rock and Roll immortality!

From his early days to todays music scene, the guy has driven through virgin snow for all of us to follow in his foot prints.

He really wanted to be a drummer? Well thank God for the rest of us that he choose the guitar! Honestly, that’s what he says in the begging of this one so listen carefully! It’s one of those things that make you go huummm, in the middle of the night! He also talks about how he got his name, I just about fell off my chair laughing at it, just ask my wife and dog Midnight.

May you get into heaven an hour before the devil knows your dead Mr Bo Diddley!

Keep on Jammin’ where ever you are Sir!